Dump your trash somewhere else.

I have a friend who owns a few acres on land that once was the site of many civil war battles. One day he arrived home to find a guy in his front yard with a metal detector and shovel looking for souveniers. Unamused, he asked for the man's address so he could return the favor.

That story reminded me of the lack of respect we sometimes have for others, or they have for us. I compare it to your neighbor coming over and dumping their garbage in your front yard. Most of us would never allow this kind of behavior to our well cropped lawns and gardens, but we let it go on every day in our lives.

We live in a time when there seems to be a total lack of personal accountability in our society. At work people blame their failures on a co-worker (dumping their trash in someone elses yard). In our  homes we blame a sibling or spouse for what is going on in our life. At church we blame the preacher or church leaders for something we don't like, or something we find offensive.

Grow Up! If you want to be successful. If you want to get the most out of each and every day. Here are two simple rules that might help.

1. Take responsibility for your own life. Quit blaming someone else for your circumstances, your unhappiness or your failures. You can't change what happened in your past (even the garbage others have dumped in your life), but you can impact your future.
2. Don't let people dump their garbage in your front yard. A simple, "I'm sorry, I won't accept that kind of behavior" or "You are not going to treat me that way," goes a long way. If it continues take the necessary actions to stop the unwanted behaviors.

If all else fails - go buy them a trash can.